Lanzerac Chardonnay 2017

This full-bodied Chardonnay showcases prominent primary citrus aromas on the nose followed by a complexity of flavours including lemon, clover, ginger and vanilla. The palate reveals an excellent balance between fruit, acidity and softness with a lingering aftertaste.

in the vineyard : The Lanzerac Chardonnay 2017 was sourced from eight different vineyard blocks: D5, L1, L2, L3, L11, L12, J2 and J7 from Lanzerac and Jonkersdrift in the Jonkershoek Valley. The age of the vineyard blocks range from 3 to 22 years and consist of different clones to add complexity to the wine. These blocks are mainly from deep sandy soils and cover an area of 8.82 hectares. The yield from the vineyard blocks, situated 166m - 375 meters above sea level, was 5.01 tons/hectare. Pruning and harvesting were done by hand to ensure that only healthy and fully ripe grapes reach the cellar.

about the harvest: End of January to middle February 2017.

in the cellar : After the grapes are handpicked and transported to the cellar in bins, the grape bunches are hand sorted before destemmend and crushed. The mash is cooled by a mash cooler to approximately 15° Celsius before pressing. The pressed Chardonnay juice is allowed 48 hours to settle before the clear juice is racked of the lees. 70% of the Chardonnay was fermented in 300 litre Burgundy styled oak barrels, whilst the remaining 30% was fermented in stainless steel tanks. A combination of new, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels were used to ensure the best preservation of fruit. Each vineyard block is treated differently with different yeast regimes and fermentation. After fermentation the Chardonnay in barrels is left on the lees and batonage is done every week for 7-8 months. After approximately 9 months the Chardonnay is blended and prepared for bottling.